by Amber Kell
"It'll be amazing because it'll be you." Guy spoke so quietly Jacob thought he misheard him, but there was no mistaking the look in Guy's eyes. Now Jacob was the nervous one. Swallowing to regain moisture in his suddenly dry mouth, Jacob slicked his fingers again, making sure they were extra slick with lube.
With torturously slow movements, he slid his fingers back into Guy's tight hole, a finger at a time until each addition slipped in as easily as the last. Guy reflexively tightened.
"Shhh, none of that." Leaning down, Jacob licked at Guy's lips until they spread and welcomed him in. While using his fingers to loosen Guy up, Jacob plundered that amazing mouth. Moans filled the air as they gave themselves up to passion and became lost in the act. Jacob tried to multi-task, but it was difficult to remember to move his hand while his mouth explored his lover.
Guy broke away. "I don't want to come with your hand!" he protested.
"Soon," Jacob promised in a soothing voice. When he was certain Guy was about to come, he slipped out his fingers. "Ready?"
"How much more ready do I need to get before you fuck me?"
"Relax, baby," Jacob whispered into Guy's ear. "You have to relax."
Quickly slipping on a condom, Jacob lined himself up and slid in slowly, giving Guy's tight hole time to adjust before he pushed in farther. When Jacob was fully seated, he paused.
"Yes," Guy sighed. The pushy man tried to fuck himself on Jacob's cock. Jacob grabbed Guy's hips, holding him still. He wasn't going to ruin what might possibly be his only chance to fuck the sexy older man.
"I'm in charge," Jacob said, slowly easing into Guy.
Guy let out a groan. "Then stop fucking around and fucking fuck me."
"How are you doing?" he asked in Guy's ear. Breathing slowly, he stroked his hands up and down Guy's muscled back to help his partner relax further. Jacob wanted it to be good for Guy.
"Full. So full." Guy gasped. The man was beautiful in his need with his head thrown back and his body shifting restlessly beneath Jacob. "Move!"
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, fuck me, gorgeous. Fuck me like you mean it."
Despite Guy's demand for hard sex, Jacob didn't want the other man to have any regrets or an overly sore ass in the morning. He pulled out slowly, adjusted his position, and slid back inside Guy's hot, tight hole. When the man beneath him began moaning, Jacob knew he'd found the magic spot, smiling as he nailed Guy's prostate over and over.
Damn, he's tight!
Jacob cupped his hands around Guy's ass and lifted him higher so Jacob could get the perfect angle.
"Yes!!" Guy shouted. Before Jacob got the chance to touch, Guy let out a cry, his body tightened, and he brutally yanked Jacob into an orgasm along with him.
Jacob collapsed against his lover for a moment before summoning up the energy to pull out, careful to slide out slowly and keep a hand on the condom so he didn't lose the fluid trapped inside.
Stumbling to the bathroom on wobbly legs, Jacob threw away the condom and brought back a warm, wet washcloth to clean off his lover.
His steps slowed after returning the washcloth to the bathroom, and he hovered beside the bed unsure if Guy wanted him to stay or if he should just go get his clothes and make a run for it. He didn't have much luck with relationships. Most of them were based on his looks, and when it turned out he wasn't as perfect a person as his physical appearance implied, his boyfriends faded into the woodwork.
Sliding to one side, Guy beckoned Jacob closer.
"Spend the night with me."
Jacob bit his lip as he thought the decision over. "I need to be at a shoot by seven."
"I leave at six."
Relief filled him. "Perfect."
Without another word, he slid under the covers and let Guy spoon around him. Feeling relaxed and protected, Jacob fell asleep.
Chapter Three
Guy woke in slow increments, the soft humming in his brain a pleasant, soothing noise. Curiosity had him waking to find its source. First, he blinked from the bright morning light, then he became aware of the soft sheets, firm mattress, and the warm body beside him.
Warm body?
Blinking slowly, he looked at the tousled dark hair and the previous evening's events came rushing back, along with the ache in his ass. Now he knew why he'd heard the hum; he'd bonded with his mate. Their mating bond crackled with power. He'd heard of that happening before but had thought the bond a more conceptual idea than physical reality.
The scent of sex filled the air, and besides the usual smells of musk and cum, there was another smell he'd thought he'd never have.
Mated.
Jacob's scent, appealing before, now smelled like home. As if the man belonged to Guy. In a room full of strangers, he knew from this day forward he'd always be able to pick out his lover. A warm glow of delight filled Guy. He'd finally found his other half after so many years of looking, when he'd just been about to give up. His happy rush vanished as panic gripped Guy's chest like an iron vise. What if Jacob didn't plan on keeping him? As far as Guy could tell, Jacob knew nothing about his true nature or anything about magic. Guy brushed his worries away. Jacob would learn soon that Guy wasn't going anywhere.
Snuggling his lover closer, Guy relished lying in bed with someone in his arms.
"Morning." Jacob's sleep roughened voice broke the silence.
"Morning, gorgeous," Guy responded, automatically tightening his grip.
"You're going to have to let me go so I can use to the bathroom," Jacob muttered.
"Sorry." It took more effort than it should have to release the other man.
The insistent ringing of his phone brought Guy out of his admiration of Jacob's ass as he walked to the bathroom.
Scrambling for his cell, he glanced at the screen.
Cash?
"What's wrong?" Guy asked into the phone, brushing aside the normal greetings.
Cash wasn't social enough for casual conversation. As far as Guy could tell, the only person Cash gave a crap about was his mate, and that man could wrap Cash around his finger so fast it was head-spinning to watch.
"Have you gotten any leads on that murder?"
"No. The suspect wasn't there. I've got some meetings with my crew this morning, and then I'm going to go out again tonight." Shit! How was he going to explain to Jacob he was going out to nightclubs, and more importantly, what if Jacob didn't care?
"There's been another murder. I've sent Niles to come help you search. We've got to catch whoever or whatever is killing people. We think the killer is targeting people with untapped power. Right now, he's fixating on models. The last three have been runway models. All men, and the last two were found together."
Guy could practically hear the blood in his veins crackle with the sudden icy chill whipping through his body. "Why didn't I hear of this connection before?"
"The first death appeared random, and the victim had only done a few photo shoots. It wasn't until we learned of the other two that we started putting it together. Think about it, models are easy victims if you have a good cover story. Hell, you can even have them come to you if you call a modeling agency with a possible job. The last two vanished after a shoot they were supposed to do together. Their manager contacted us because she used to be one of our agents. She said both models had strong untapped power."
"Who's the agent? I'll start with her."
"Mandy Gates at Models Now."
"Shit!"
"What's wrong?"
"That's Jacob's agent!"
There was silence on the line. "Who's Jacob?"
"My mate."
Guy held the phone away from his ear at Cash gave a loud shout of excitement.
"Congratulations!"
Guy couldn't hold back the feeling of smug satisfaction, though he was surprised at how excited Cash was for him. He didn't think Cash cared enough about him to share in his joy. Finding his mate had changed Cash in more ways than one.
"Oh shit!" Cash muttered. He must h
ave realized what Guy meant.
"Yep, Jacob has a megaload of untapped power too."
"What's his strength?"
"Charm."
Guy held the phone away from his ear when the hysterical laughter got too much.
"Done yet?"
"Hell no. I'm going to be laughing about this for years. The hardass wizard is stuck with a charmed mate."
"Yeah, well, I'm surprised you were allowed to make a phone call. Are you done rubbing your mate's feet?"
"Yep, he let me off for good behavior." Cash's voice held nothing but good humor. "If I'm really nice, he'll reward me with a blowjob."
Guy laughed. "Too much information, Cash."
"Tell me about your mate. He's a model with the same agency?"
"Yeah. And forget it; I'm not using him as bait."
"Come on, Guy, you know it won't be easy getting someone else into that position."
"How about we use your William. He's pretty enough to be a model," Guy taunted.
"Too short," Cash pointed out.
"You wouldn't use him anyway," Guy said, daring him to disagree.
"Nope. What's your mate's name anyway?"
"Jacob Richmond."
There was a long silence.
"Seriously?"
"Why, you know him?"
"There's a fucking signed picture of him in my mate's office. They met at some charity event. We just had a fight about whether or not to invite him to our wedding. Does he really look like his pictures?"
"Nope, he's prettier," Guy taunted. "Wait, what wedding?"
"Will's parents are teaming up to get Will married off, and according to them, if I'm lucky, they'll let me be the one who marries him."
"Do they actually think they can replace you?"
He'd never heard the Stamsons were stupid, but they were downright idiotic if they thought they could separate Cash from his mate.
"The Stamsons don't believe in mates."
"What about Will? Does he believe in mates?" It would be catastrophic if Cash lost his mate. Cash was almost as powerful as Guy, and a bastard if crossed. If the Stamsons thought they could brush Cash aside, Guy hoped they were prepared for the fallout. Cash in a good mood was dangerous. Cash pissed off made for a good time to leave the country, maybe the continent.
"Will believes in me, and he's talked his mother around. His father is kind of a bastard, but he's willing to play nice to make up for Gil."
Guy could believe that. When Will's older brother, Gil, endangered Will's life, it shook up the entire Stamson family.
"I can't believe they let him off so lightly." After a great deal of debate, the council let Gil off with only a light wrist slap; three years of living without magic. "He didn't even get jail time for attempted murder."
"That was Will's fault. He refused to testify against his brother." He could hear the anger in Cash's voice.
"Well, to be fair, from what you told me, I think Gil was as shaken about the whole thing as William."
"The fact that he's sorry wouldn't have brought my mate back if he were killed."
"True. When's the big day?"
A low heartfelt sigh came over the phone. "There are two."
"Two?" Guy found it difficult to believe Cash got talked into one much less two ceremonies.
"One for family and friends, and one for the media circus."
"Which one do you want me at?"
"You want to come?"
"Not if you don't want me to."
Cash growled his frustration. "That's not it. I didn't think you'd want to come to this thing. You always avoided everyone else's commitment ceremonies."
"Ah, but now I've got a man of my own, and I know for a fact you don't want him there. It's a like double bonus."
Cash laughed. "I won't care now that he's attached to someone, but, hell, in this picture, he has his arm around my man and he's not wearing a shirt."
Guy's cock hardened as he remembered Jacob's naked body. "Listen, I'll go meet with Jacob's agent and find out what she knows. Maybe she'll have some leads she didn't think of before."
"Sounds good. Hey, does Jacob know you're his mate?"
"Not yet." Guy grinned. "But he'll learn soon enough I'm not so easy to get rid off."
"Well, let me know if you learn anything from his agent. Since I can't do active work anymore, they have me doing stuff behind the scenes."
"Does it bother you?" Guy wondered how Cash was really doing. After working as one of the best operatives for years, to suddenly stop going on missions and stay at home must be a hard transition. Guy wondered how he would cope. Soon he would have his answer. The Council didn't let mated wizards stay in active duty. It was a good rule because if one wizard died, so would his mate.
Cash laughed, a warm, relaxed sound he'd never heard from the other man before. "You let me know when you're sitting on the council seat sending operatives out on missions. The other council members are going to be excited when you tell them you've found your mate." The Wizard Council had held a spot open for Guy for the last hundred years.
"I'll let them know after this case. I can't let this go if the bastard is after models. Jacob could be in trouble."
"I won't mention it. Niles should get there tomorrow. If this bastard isn't afraid to take out two models at a time, he might be using magic. You shouldn't confront anyone by yourself."
"I'll be careful. I'll call you later with an update."
Disconnecting, he looked at the clock.
Shit!
"It's six-thirty. The alarm didn't go off," Guy shouted.
Jacob was going to be late for his shoot after Guy had assured him there wouldn't be a problem. He speed-dialed Joel and told him to wait for them downstairs. Rushing to his closet, he found a shirt he'd bought that was too tight on him but he was too lazy to return. He could take a shower later; besides, he liked smelling like Jacob and knowing others of the supernatural set could smell that he was mated too.
"How late am I?" Jacob asked, rushing back into the room. His hair was wet, attesting to the fact he'd taken a quick shower while Guy was on the phone. Jacob gave him a shy smile. "I hope you don't mind I used your shower. You were on the phone, and I didn't want to bother you."
"Honey, you can always bother me if it involves you naked in water."
Jacob laughed. "I'll remember that. What time is it?"
"You're not late yet," Guy replied, "but we're cutting it close. You can wear your pants from yesterday, but see if this shirt fits you." He tossed it over to Jacob and went back into his closet to find something to wear. Since they would redress Jacob at his shoot, he didn't think it mattered too much what the model wore, but he didn't want Jacob to look like something the cat dragged in either. After all, Pablo had seen Jacob yesterday.
"It's not too bad."
Guy turned around. "Oh fuck, you're fine," he blurted out. He immediately wished he hadn't when Jacob blushed and looked away. The guy probably was sick of people commenting on his looks. Guy cleared his throat. "Are you at the same location as yesterday?"
Jacob nodded. "Pablo is using a full day today and tomorrow to wrap up the shoot."
"Great, Joel is waiting for us. You won't be that late."
The men scrambled for their shoes and raced to the elevator. Minutes later, they were rushing to the limo.
Once they got seated, Jacob's stomach growled.
"Damn, I'm sorry we didn't have time to eat," Guy's heart ached. Jacob was going to work starving. Who knew when anyone would think to feed the poor man? Guy sucked at taking care of his mate.
"It's all right." Jacob patted Guy's knee. "I'll grab something. They usually have a table of food out."
The rush of relief Guy felt was ridiculous. He had it bad, and he still had no idea how the model felt about him.
Jacob leaned over and kissed Guy on the cheek, sending a wave of heat through his body. "Thanks for last night. I had a great time."
"Me too." Guy couldn't have stopped his
smile if he wanted to, though breathing appeared to be optional.
His heart and entire future were in jeopardy, but he couldn't make himself care. As long as he could keep Jacob, everything would be fine.
* * * *
Joel pulled up outside the building of Jacob's shoot and came around to open the door. "Will you be all right?" Guy asked.
"Yes, Dad. I can even cross the street these days all alone," Jacob said, a teasing sparkle in his eyes.
"Funny." Guy resisted the urge to give Jacob money to make sure he got a proper lunch. The man was a successful model, not a stray Guy had picked up off the street. He was certain any money handed over would be taken in the worst possible light. Guy let Jacob go with a kiss and a wave, even though his instincts screamed to grab the gorgeous man tight and never let him out of his sight. He saw Joel give Jacob his card as the driver held the door for Jacob. He hoped the proud man would use it when he finished work for the day.
Shaking his head at his own foolishness, Guy waited until Jacob was out of sight before he signaled Joel to move on.
He wasn't going to become some crazy stalker.
He wasn't.
* * * *
Jacob all but danced up the stairs to the door. He really liked Guy, and he had a feeling Guy liked him back. There was no disguising the look of affection the other man gave him.
With a wide smile, Jacob glided through work. The tedious measuring, the makeup discussion, and the boring endless fittings didn't touch his good mood.
"How's the new guy?" Gregor popped up beside Jacob's chair, his blue eyes sparkling with an expression Jacob couldn't read.
"Wonderful. Don't think I didn't see you hitting on him."
Gregor shrugged. "I was just testing to see if he was only looking for a pretty face." He gave Jacob another weird look. "He wasn't. He's really into you."
"You think?" Jacob couldn't hide his eagerness, even though he doubted Gregor was being helpful for no reason.
The handsome model stared at Jacob. "Shit, what is it about you that everyone always likes? You aren't any better looking than I am, yet I only get booked for the jobs you're too busy for or if they want a second person. I probably make a fraction as much a year as you do, and now you have some rich guy who's all gaga over you. You didn't see him jump to your defense. I thought I was going to have to call security. One day you're going to fall on your ass, and I want to be there when it happens." Gregor stormed off, leaving Jacob to watch him wide-eyed.